This is a simple site that has recorded greetings and farewells in Russian, along with the various translations in English. The phrases are set up in chart form, which include a column that comments on whether the phrase is formal, informal, and other helpful tips. An easy way to get an idea of the Russian language if you haven't heard it.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a quick learning center during a unit on Russian Politics or history. Students can use the phrases in speaking or within a graphic organizer. Teachers of the Russian language could also print this to help students review the basic language concepts.

This site is designed for tourists, and contains lots of good basic information on Russia. Colorful graphics and an easy-to-follow layout allow you to virtually explore Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Trans-Siberian Railway or the main waterways. You'll also find links to Russian history, art, architecture, and other interesting facts. Click on "The Gazeteer" for a summary of Russia today, or follow the "Activities" link to find out about wildlife preservation of the Siberian tiger.

In the Classroom

Save this site as a favorite on classroom computers, and have students look at individually. Have students examine the different sections of the site, and then create a "travel brochure" for Russia. Use an online poster creator, such as Padlet (reviewed here).

This site from Fordham University offers a college-level treatment of the Russian Revolution and the personalities and factions which contributed to the political turmoil. Using a combination of on-site and metasite resources, the author's treatment allows users to follow the narrative at varying levels of depth. This site could be useful for teachers preparing a Western Civilization survey, or for AP students working on a research project.

This site from the Library of Congress compares the settlement of the American west with the Russian migration and expansion eastward, and highlights the meeting of the Russian and American frontiers in the Alaskan wilderness. Developed in both English and Russian, the site covers a half dozen major topic areas, offering combinations of narrative and archival images. This is a "compare and contrast" study that students don't frequently encounter, and it could be an interesting sidebar to discussions of either the American west or the history of Russia in the 19th century.

This site, developed in part by the Moscow tourism bureau, offers a glimpse of some of the city's most famous landmarks, and a very complete section on the Kremlin. There are also sections dealing with life in the city and cultural events. This could be useful for cultural or historical research.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector before allowing students to explore it in cooperative learning groups on classroom computers. Have students use this site as a jump off point before creating their own travel brochure of what they think are the most important sites in Russia. To make it a review activity, have students incorporate the historical significance of each of the places they choose. This would be useful in a world history classroom.

This site offers a tour of the seat of Russia's government, once a sixteenth century fortress. There are extensive photos of the buildings inside the Kremlin, along with short narrative explaining the role they have played in Russia's history over the past 400 years.

In the Classroom

Save this site as a favorite and use it as a learning center or station during a unit on Russia's political evolution over the past centuries. The content stretches well before the last century, but in a way that shows the changes that were made recently and why they are significant. An activity like this will probably work best with a graphic organizer - for help making one, we recommend a site such as Graphic Organizer Maker, (reviewed here).

This is a truly extraordinary collection of images of Russia during the period 1900-1915. The photographer's techniques enabled the Library of Congress to recreate high quality, full-color images of 100 year old scenes that look as though they were taken yesterday. Though the site has a wealth of technical information, the images themselves will be most useful. The site includes numerous buildings that were destroyed during the Russian revolution of 1917.

In the Classroom

Use the images on this site to create a visual discovery activity in your classroom. Select 3-5 of the more powerful and descriptive images, placing them on separate PowerPoint slides. Share the slides on the interactive whiteboard, allowing students to view each image for 30-45 seconds each. During that time period students should jot down what they can observe, infer and predict about each image. After the class has gone through all the slides, have a class discussion based on student's notes. This is a great way to review a unit on Russia, allowing students to apply their knowledge from the previous classes.

Take a look at Sochi, Russia as it prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. This site offers 26 images starting in December 2012 showing progress in constructing Olympic venues and infrastructure in preparation for the February 2014 event. Some images demonstrate the effect on local people as well as showing construction progress.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use images from this site as story starters. For example - use image 17 showing the family with their demolished home and ask students to write about the Olympics from their point of view. Challenge students to find current images of construction projects and compare progress made since 2012. Have students create maps of Olympic venues using Animaps (reviewed here). Students can add text, images, and location stops!

This site offers a wonderful list of Twitter feeds to consider if you are just starting out or if you are adding to your feed related to history. The list includes the Twitter name with a link and a short description. Feeds include the Library of Congress, quotes and sayings from Thomas Jefferson, and HistoryDay (see what happened on this day in history). Feeds are separated into categories such as media, educators and students, and military to help navigate the different types.

In the Classroom

Create a classroom twitter account and choose feeds to follow that relate to classroom studies. Assign different students to follow the feed each week to summarize and review. Challenge students to find other history Twitter feeds to follow. Have students create a Twitter account as a historical figure as part of research projects. Looking for more ways to use twitter in the classroom? Read more about Twitter from TeachersFirst's Twitter for Teachers page.

Find news videos from around the world in a unique way. Mapeas video links are located on a Google Map. Go to the specific geographical area of the world you want and click on the links. Larger dots contain more videos in that area. There are dots that indicate a news story in business, entertainment, or general. Continue to click on the dots until there are actual videos to choose from. Stay informed with current events around the world with this site.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this site to find events occurring around the world. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Research about many of these events to understand the history, culture, and background of the problem or event. Research other such events that may have occurred elsewhere in the world. Report findings using a blog, wiki, or through class discussion. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. Challenge students to find their own news stories and create a short multimedia project highlighting "the news" by creating a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced) to explain their news story that they researched. Use a site such as Blabberize (reviewed here).

In the Classroom

Share the sociology of Russia with your students. Use a projection screen (or interactive whiteboard) and share the video, the information and the realities of homelessness in Russia. Have students make comparisons about the number and plight of the homeless children in Russia and the country you live in. Have students use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to make their comparisons.